Strand detector and detainer



June 26, 1928.

W. P. WILLIAMSON .STRAND DETECTOR AND DETAINER Fike i Jug yji 192e z/azz 23 g wazzzawi? w Patented elune 26, 1928.

WILLIAEVI'IP. WILLIAMSONQDF LUDLOW,.1VIASSACHU SETTS', ASSIGNOR. TO LUDLOW MAN- UFACTURI'NG ASSOCIATES; TRUSTEES.

STRAND DETECTOR AND DETAINER.

Application filed July 21',

This invention relates to strand detector and detainer mechanism for use with strand or filament handling machinery, such as winding. machinery, or textile cordage or wire handling or using machines. 'A' principal object of the invention is to providei'a simple, accurate and reliable device adaptedv to detect either a too thick or' too thin place in the strand, wire, cord, yarn, or other filament and to detain the filament when the device has operated to detect such fault.

For these purposes I recommend and shall herein describe effective means for measuring a running filament above and below a required and predetermined diameter, in combination with. means acting as a consequence of the occurrence and passage of a fault to cause cessation of continuance of supply of the filament. Assuming use of the invention with machinery causing the filament to run past a point under more or less tension, a preferred form of the device causes cessation of running of the filamentby seizing it at or near the fault and permitting it to break; but the invention is adaptedfor use unchanged with such filament using machinery as may be adapted to stop automatically upon increase in tension of the filament, and in case of such use, the detention of the filament may be resorted to to increase tension rather than to induce breakage.

A device adapted to operate to these ef-- fects is particularly useful in connection with winding machines, and especially in. connection with winding machines adapted to wind packages for shipment and sale, or for use in textile machinery such as looms, braiding, knitting or netting machines, in which uses it is desirable to prepare the yarn or other Cordage by freeing it from obstructions suchas slubs or knots, and to make sure that no strand is included in the pack.- for use which varies below a predetermined standard of strength or thickness.

In the accompanying drawings selected to illustrate a preferred instance only of mechanism exemplifying the invention,

Fig. 1 is a front elevation;

Fig. 2 is an end' elevation from the left of Fig. 1;

Fig. is a section on the line of Fig. 1 showing a slub approaching the device which is in open position; I

Fig. 4 is a similar section showing the de- 1926? Serial No. 123,919.

V105? in operation to detect and detain a 'slub; an

Fig. 5 is-a similar section showing the device in operation to detect and detain a thin portion.

Referring now to the drawings at an ap propriate place on a winding or other yarn, cordage or filament handling machine frame 1, a suitable brace 2 is fixed having a projecting arm 8, forming at its end a cylindrical portion 4 which is bored out to receive a sleeve 5, which is integral with the frustoconical member 6. position by the set screw 7. Positioned through this sleeve is a shaft 8, which is held from withdrawal by cotter pin 9 inserted in one of the spaced holes therein, 10, 10, 1'0 Straddled on said sleeve 5 between member 6 and the arm end as an upwardly projecting member 11 split at its bottom and pinched into fixed position over said sleeve by the screw 12. I 7

Opposed to said frusto-conical member 6' is another frusto-conical member 13 loosely mounted on shaft 8 the smaller surfaces 14 and 15 of said members 6 and 13 respectively being adjacent and substantially perpendicular to the axis of shaft 8. Loosely strung on shaft 8 between said members 6 and 13, is a shim 16 of predetermined thickness to separate to the proper distance said surfaces 14: and 15. E aid shim 16 may be washer shaped as shown in Figs. 3 and 5 or maybe of hairpin shape as in 16, Fig. 4, so ast'o' straddle shaft 8. The slope surfaces 17 and 18 of members 6 and, 13 respectively may be increased adjacent their smaller surfaces 14, 1'5 to the slopes 19, 20' respectively in order to define a steeper walled groove for the running of the filament.

The frusto-con'ical member 18 maybe pro videdwith an integral extension 21 sur-' rounding its central bore and adapted to provide a seat for a compression spiral spring 22',- se'ated at its other end on the boss 23', which is permanently fixed to the free end of'shaft 8. The member 13 is thus normally pressed against the shim 16 and toward the member 6 but is free to be moved laterally against the compression of the spring 22 for cleaning or for replacing a shim. I

For assembly the sleeve 5 of member 6 is slipped into the bore of support it and fixed This sleeve is held in" 7 against the compression of spring 22 and cotter pin 9 is inserted in the desired hole 10, 10, or 10", to hold theassembly in position. I I

The members 6 and 13 by the described features thus provide a preferred form of annular V-shaped guide groove communicating at its bottom with a parallel-walled recess between the faces 14 and 15 adapted to be adjusted in width according to the thickness of shim 16.

The member 11 is as aforesaid, straddled over the sleeve 5 of member 6 and pinched into fixed position by the screw 12. The upper end of member 11 is recessed for the reception of'a headed stud 24 which may be set and fixed at any adjustment of projection by the set screws 25, Laterally through the head 26 of stud 24 is provided a bore for the reception of a shaft 27 which is fixed by set screw 28 in the top of head 26. The shaft 27 projects laterally over and beyond the center of the guide groove presented by members 6 and 13 and terminates in an enlarged Loosely strung on shaft 27 and bearing against head 29 is a depending lever 29 with its lower edge 30 accurately p0sitioned over the center of said guide groove, and arcuated eccen'trically of its mounting as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4. This lower edge 30 is cut away at each side to present a thinner edge portion and is serrated throughout its arc, the teeth of such serration projecting against the direction of movement of the filament, to the left, in Figures 3 and '4.

Rigidly secured by solder to the pivot of lever 29 and loosely strung on shaft 27 against head 26 is a weight 31, the end of which is of considerably greater weight than lever 29. This weight 31 normally projects rearwardly and is set at such angle to lever 29, that when its lower side 32 rests on the larger edge of frusto-conical member 6, the arcuate edge 30 of lever 29 is raised out of the filament guideway presented by members 6 and 13. The degree to which arcuate edge 30 is raised above said guideway is regulated and adjusted by the setting of stud 24 in the recess of member 11, as fixed by the set screws 25.

tween the weight 31 and stud head 26. To

insure throughout varying adjustments that the rear portion of weight 31 rests on the top of member 6, it will be evident that the bottom 32 of said rear portion r'shonld preferably be fiat and of considerable width as shown in Fig. 1.

From the above described features it is evident that lever29 hanging just above the recessed guide groove formed by members 6 and 13, may' be adjusted to define a passageway between it and said members 6 and 13 for filaments of less than a predetermined diameter.

In operation the surfaces 14 and 15 of the guide members 6 and 13 are separated by a shim 16 to a predetermined distance which is the distance representing the minimum permissible diameter of the filament f with which the device is to be employed. The depending lever 29 is positioned with its lower edge accurately over the center of the recess between members 6 and 13, and adjusted vertically so that in open position (Fig. that point of its arcuate edge 30, nearest the guide passage members 6 and 13 is separated from the lower edges of slopes 19 and 20 on said guide members 6 and. 13, by the distance equal to the maximum permissible diameter of said filament.

A' convenient method of setting this adjustment is to lay in the guide passageway a metal wire of the diameter of maximum desired filament, rest lever 29 upon said Wire with weight 31 seated on the top of member 6, and then fix the set screws 25.

The filament f may be slipped down in clined surface 18 of member 13, into the passageway between slopes 19 and 20 and drawn upwardly and along said passageway as inclicated, the members being polished so as to offer no resistance over the normally de sired tension on the filament.

Whenever the filament falls below the desirable minimum diameter, the stress on the filament causes it to enter the recess be tween the faces 14 and 15 of the members 6 and'13, there to be wedged and detained resulting in breakage at a; as illustrated in Fig. 5, or in suflicient tension to operate the stop motion usual to a machine with which the device is to be employed.

Whenever the filament increases to above the desirable maximum diameter, as when a slub or knot occurs thereon as shown at y, Figs. 3 and 4, the too large portion y engages with the projecting teeth on the arcuate edge of lever 29, and swings lever 29 on its pivot and the edge 30 into the passageway as illustrated in Fig. 4:, so as to wedge and detain the filament f against the slopes 19, 20 of guide members 6 and 13, resulting as shown in Fig. l, in breakage at a" or in increased tension to operate a stop motion device. The swinging of lever 29 as its lower edge is swung into the filament passageway lifts weight 31 off its seat on the top of member 6, but immediately upon the clearing of the passageway, weight 31 will resume its seat thereby swinging lever 29 back to open position.

While I have described a preferred form of device exemplifying the new principle of the invention, it will be obvious that other means for measuring the variation of a running filament above and below a required diameter in combination with other means than those described for causing cessation of continuance of supply of the filament past the device as a consequence of the occurrence of a fault would still embody the new idea of means constituting this invention and I am not to be understood as restricting the Scope of this invention to the particular devices recommended and herein described.

I claim:

1. Means for detecting improper condition of a running filament comprising in combination means for detecting a thin place adapted and arranged to seize and detain filament having a thin place therein and means reacting with said elements for detaining a filament having a slub.

2. Means for detecting improper condition of a running filamentcomprising means for detecting a thin place adapted and arranged to seize and detain filament having a thin place therein and means reacting with said elements for detaining a filament having a slub, in combination with means for adjusting the distance apart of the operating surfaces of said means.

3. Means for detecting improper condition of a running filament comprising in combination means for detecting a thin place adapted and arranged to seize and break filament having a thin place therein' and means reacting with said elements for detaining a filament having a slub to cause breakage of the filament,

4. Device for detecting imperfection in a filament comprising a guide groove having therein a recess of measured width for the reception and detention of a too thin part of the filament and a lever disposed within said guide groove so as to normally permit the passage of not too large filament,'and means providing an axis perpendicular to the filament passage about which said lever may swing, the lever being constructed and arranged automatically to swing to restrict said filament passage upon the engagement of its lower edge with a too large portion in the filament.

5. Device for detecting imperfection in a filament comprising a base and lever having opposed arcuate surfaces providing between them a passage for a filament of proper size, the base being provided with a recess of measured width for the reception and de tention of a too small portion in the filament, and means providing an axis perpendicular to the filament passage about which said lever may swing, the lever being constructed and arranged automatically to swing to restrict said filament passage upon the engagement'of its lower edge with a too large portion in the filament.

6. Device for detecting imperfection in a filament comprising a guide groove having therein a recess of measured width for the reception and detention of a too thin part of the filament and a member pivotally disposed within said guide groove so as to normally permit the passage of not too large filament, and provided with a rou hened edge portion to engage the surface 0 a too large part of the filament and eccentrically mounted so as to be pulled by such engage ment to restrict said groove whereby to grip and prevent the passage of said too large part.

7. Device for detecting imperfection in a filament comprising a ll-shaped guide groove having at its bottom a recess of measured width for the reception and detention of a too thin part of the filament and a member pivotally depending within said guide groove and counterweighted so as to normally permit the passage of not too large filament, and provided with a serrated lower edge portion to engage the surface of a too large part of the filament and eccentrically mounted so as to be pulled by such engage-- ment to restrict said groove whereby to grip and prevent the passage of said too large part.

Signed by me at Ludlow, lVldSSiLCllllSGttS, this 13th day of July, 1926.

WVILLIAM P. lVILLIAMSON. 

